This invention relates to an adjustable measuring apparatus.
Coffee brewed from freshly ground coffee beans is an increasingly popular beverage. It is desirable to brew coffee consistently to satisfy consumer expectations. Consistency depends, in part, upon consistency in measuring the amount of coffee beans used in brewing.
Many devices have been employed to achieve consistent measurements. Simplest of all is a measuring spoon or cup which may be dipped into a bulk storage container of coffee beans and emptied into a grinder However, this typically requires multiple measurings of the spoon or cup to accumulate the desired quantity of coffee beans to be ground and brewed. Especially in commercial applications such measuring is prone to error and is not efficient.
It is desirable to provide a measuring apparatus which can be adjusted to measure a single unit of coffee beans to be disposed in a grinder and used for brewing. It is also desirable to position such a measuring apparatus between a gravity flow bean hopper and a grinding unit such that the beans flow directly from a storage hopper into the measuring apparatus whereupon a unit is measured and then emptied into a grinding apparatus. Such a measuring apparatus also protects the coffee beans from contamination such as contact with foreign substance or contact by human hand since the beans are stored, measured and ground in a closed loop system.
A prior art device attempted to provide a measuring apparatus to overcome the above noted problems. The prior art device includes a hollow rotatable cylinder formed with an opening for receiving coffee beans from a gravity feed hopper positioned thereabove. The cylinder rotates inside of a sleeve to dump the measure of coffee beans out through a second opening. A piston positioned inside of the cylinder is adjustable for controlling the volume of beans measured in the cylinder. A rod is provided and attached to the piston for moving the piston axially inside of the cylinder. A stationary pin attached to an inside surface of the cylinder cooperatively engages a helical groove formed on the outside surface of the piston such that rotary movement of the rod turns the piston thereby axially moving the piston through the cylinder.
However, the prior art device noted above does not overcome all of the aforementioned problems. For example, the helical groove formed on the outside surface of the piston is prone to fouling;. The helical groove becomes exposed to coffee beans and attendent particular matter when the piston is moved to decrease the volume of the measurement whereupon particles of coffee bean flowing from the hopper may become lodged therein. Further, the helical groove is formed on the outside of the piston and defines a steep angular path which is not conducive to fine adjustments. Further, the rod attached to the piston and attached to handle on the outside of the grinder housing required a set screw in order to retain a selected bean measurement piston/cylinder adjustment. If the set screw is not properly tightened after the adjustment rotation of the cylinder to dump coffee beans disposed therein may result in misadjustment of the cylinder.
Heretofore, prior measuring apparatus have been complicated and susceptible to inadvertent and undesired adjustments. Similar to the desirability of a single unit measuring device, a measuring device which is not prone to accidental adjustments is extremely desirable especially in the hectic commercial food preparation environment.